Finding the Stars
by CeceliaStar
Summary: "Four years later and she barely thought of her lost soulmate like she used to. She still wrote on her hand and arms, with the same pink color. It wasn't to her soulmate anymore though, it was to the stars. This was her way of sending them messages. At seventeen she knew it was silly, but she couldn't seem to stop herself. Old habits die hard." Nalu.
1. Chapter 1

**This is a story I've had in my files FOREVER. Was reading thru it and finally thought I should post it. Enjoy!**

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The stars were her best friends. They were there, always overhead, always watching. When her mother had died, the stars comforted her with their silence, and beautiful twinkling. They lulled her to a peaceful sleep in the grass, more comfortable than any kind of bed she could possibly imagine. The stars were there to brush away her tears. _Stars_ , Lucy thought, _were home._

When she was thirteen she read a book left on the shelves of her houses old library. Wandering around the big house had become something of a hobby of hers with the absence of her mother, and stumbling upon this small library in the corner of the mansion was a surprising delight. The books were all covered in dust as thick as a blanket. Discovering a heavy book, the old binding and curious golden curls that wrapped around the spine like a dragon's tail, was almost like something from a fairy tale. Blowing off the dust left her in a coughing fit but she still thought it was worth it.

It was a love story, she soon discovered, between people who lived on other sides of the world. They only discovered each other when one happened to be lonely, and on a whim, a pure and desperate act of reaching out, wrote a lonely ' _Hello? Anyone there?_ ' on their arm in purple marker. And then someone wrote back.

Lucy found the idea so romantic and mysterious.

And so she did it.

With hurried fingers she scribbled in pink marker a tentative hello. She waited for ten seconds before she continued scribbling on her hand. ' _My name is Lucy, nice to meet you. Don't freak out!'_

No one replied.

 _I shouldn't be surprised,_ Lucy thought quietly, as tears dripped down her face. _I almost expected the stars to reply._

Four years later and she barely thought of her lost soulmate like she used to. She still wrote on her hand and arms, with the same pink color. It wasn't to her soulmate anymore though, it was to the stars. This was her way of sending them messages. At seventeen she knew it was silly, but she couldn't seem to stop herself. Old habits die hard.

' _Levy's party today'_ was written on her left hand, while more personal things were written in private places. ' _Sometimes I forget to breathe'_ was written on her ankle, and ' _Are you listening?'_ was on her hip. It was comforting, like her own personal communication line to the stars.

Lucy smiled tiredly at her reflection in the mirror. She was sitting at the dresser in her room, getting ready for Levy McGarden's birthday party today. Convincing her strict father to let her leave just long enough to attend the beginning of Levy's party had tested her patience. Attending at all, she supposed, was a blessing, but still. Lucy sighed.

Lucy Heartfilia, daughter to Jude Heartfilia, known among his peers as a rich entrepreneur, was nothing if not strict and, in most cases, unreasonable, especially when it came to his daughter. Perfect is what he expected from everyone he met, even those he barely knew. Lucy was not an exception.

Grabbing her purse, Lucy ran down the stairs and out the door before her father could change his mind. Levy's was just a short bus ride away, but Lucy still took her time. She had no reason to rush and she enjoyed her long walk to the bus stop.

The sun was shining and she felt a layer of sweat start to build on her forehead, but she paid it no mind. She was suddenly thankful she'd decided to wear a tanktop and shorts to Levy's party

Thirty minutes later she hopped off the bus and stared at Levy's home. Levy was only a year or two older than Lucy, but she already had her own apartment and was living by herself. Lucy was jealous of the girls independence and freedom. Lucy wasn't sure she'd ever escape her father's clutches.

Soon enough, after two flights of stairs, Lucy was face to face with a grinning, blue haired, Levy.

"Lucy!" she squealed. Lucy couldn't help but smile at Levy's excitement. It was contagious. "I wasn't sure you were gonna make it!" She looped her arms around Lucy's neck and squeezed. Laughing, Lucy patted her on the back.

"Like I'd miss your birthday? You know me better than that."

Grabbing Lucy's hand Levy dragged her inside. Lucy blinked at the crowd of people and the low thrum of music playing in the background.

"I didn't realize this was going to be a party party," she admitted quietly to Levy. She only knew about half the people in the room. Lounging on a chair was Gray, already half naked. He was talking to Juvia who was blushing like mad.

She couldn't see Erza but she did hear the familiar sound of her voice booming from somewhere in the apartment. She could even see Mirijane, her boss from the restaurant Lucy and Levy worked at, in the kitchen handing out drinks. When she saw Lucy she smiled and waved kindly. The rest of the people were complete strangers.

"Gajeel invited a lot of his friends for this and suddenly my apartment was bursting with people." She chuckled nervously. Lucy frowned.

"Speaking of, where is that piece of metal?"

Gajeel, Levy's boyfriend, was so full of piercings that it honestly scared Lucy the first time she'd met him. His size, constant glare, and dark clothing did not aid in the matter. And while he was rough around the edges, Lucy decided she liked him when she saw how gentle he was with Levy.

Levy frowned and looked through the crowd. "I could've sworn I saw him in here with Natsu…." Lucy raised her eyebrows.

"Who's Natsu?"

"You'll meet him soon, don't worry. He's a bit..." Levy sighed. "I just hope he doesn't burn down my place." Lucy's eyes widened in alarm.

Before she could enquire more she felt a sudden scratching on her arm that startled her. Glancing down she stared wide eyed at the sudden letters that were appearing in fire red pen on her right arm.

' _I'm boooooooredddd'_ it read.

Lucy let out a squeak of shock as her heart rate spread up. She jumped when a gentle hand was placed on her shoulder. Levy looked at Lucy with concern filled eyes. "Are you alright, Lu?"

Lucy nodded quickly, mind racing. Had she really seen what she thought she had? The possible implications made her head spin. She glanced back down. The words were gone.

It took her a second to stop staring at the empty skin. She must have imagined it.

"I can't stay for long Levy," Lucy said, deciding to push this from her mind. Lucy couldn't help but notice the slight tremor in her voice. Levy's face filled with disappointment. "I'll stay as long as I can," she added quickly. She couldn't stand to see Levy so sad. Levy smiled brightly.

"Good!" Grabbing Lucy's hand Levy dragged her through the crowd. She met a bunch of people in a whirlwind. She met Mirijane's brother who strangely kept yelling "Man!" and a drunk named Cana. Cana had repeatedly tried to grab her boobs to Lucy's dismay. Despite this though, she liked her.

At some point Levy must have exhausted names to throw out because she suddenly exclaimed, "There's still one person I haven't introduced you to yet!" They wound their way through the apartment to the kitchen where Erza offered Lucy a gentle smile.

"Hey!" Levy yelled, her face suddenly turning red.

Lucy glanced at the girl, startled. Levy was glaring daggers at the hulking figure that was skulking through her fridge. Gajeel looked up guiltily, a piece of food sticking out of his mouth. A loud cackling started up and Lucy could only assume it was because of Gajeel's face.

She glanced over and saw what she could only describe as a pink haired ruffian, bending over and laughing like crazy.

Gajeel growled at the pink haired guy which only made him laugh harder.

"You look so stupid!" he finally got out, wiping tears from his eyes.

"Say that again, pipsqueak!" Gajeel shouted, which caused to food to drop from his mouth. The pinkett laughed louder. While Levy started yelling at Gajeel for making a mess, Lucy inspected the stranger closer. His hair was clearly a dyed pink, sticking up at odd angles. His eyes were a sharp green. A tattoo of a snake, or no, maybe a dragon, curled around his right shoulder and his ears were pierced. It was very clear he worked out, she decided, by the look of his muscles. He wore a blank tank top with a dragon on it and tight jeans. Despite his tattoos and piercings he honestly just looked like a goofball, though that was probably because he was still laughing.

Lucy's heart sped up a bit when he stopped laughing and noticed her stare. The intensity of his green eyes took her breath away a bit.

"Oh!" Levy said, turning from Gajeel. "Lucy, this is Natsu. Natsu, this is Lucy." Lucy smiled as pleasantly as she could manage. Natsu stared at her a second longer before breaking into a grin.

"Nice to meet you Luigi," he laughed. Lucy blinked. "You've got a strange name."

She grit her teeth and growled, "That's not my name. It's _Lucy!_ L-U-C-Y," she spelled out. His eyes widened and he smiled in relief.

"Thank goodness, that's a much better name."

Lucy glanced at the wall clock and her eyes widened dramatically. "I'm sorry Levy," Lucy gasped, "I have to go, my dad will kill me!"

Before Lucy turned to go she saw something that made her heart drop. Levy ushered Lucy out and she barely noticed how her feet moved towards the door because what she kept replaying in her mind was Natsu, lifting his arm, and flashing a scribble on his skin, done in red marker.

When she got home she stared at where the scribble had been and started thinking. Maybe it had been a coincidence that she'd had the same color red suddenly drawn on her skin in the exact same place. Maybe she really had imagined it. Maybe she was psychic.

Then other thoughts entered her mind. What if they could communicate through marker. Would he see it when she wrote on her skin? Had he been seeing it and ignoring it? And why did it start now? When did it start? Or has he just never written on his skin before Levy's party?

It was too many questions for her to comprehend, so she did what she thought was logical. She asked him.

' _You finally responded'_ she wrote. She sat there anxiously, staring. His message had disappeared after a few seconds so maybe it would be the same with hers. Maybe he missed it. Or what if he could write to her but she couldn't write to him. She thought of all of this while she stared manically at her hand.

Just when she'd given up her leg itched. Nearly ripping her pants off in the process, she looked and saw big red letters.

' _I didn't know that I could."_

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 **Comments, suggestions, thoughts? Yes, no, maybe so?**

 **I'm not sure whether I'm going to continue this. Please let me now your thoughts!**


	2. Chapter 2

**If you guys keep commenting like that I might write a new chapter daily, like DAMN. You all were very sweet! I hope you enjoy this. I wrote it in 2 hours, so no I did not reread it for errors. IF you see any please let me know.**

 **Also if you read my other story, The Heartfilia Home (a 34 chapter fic) and are wondering why I'm updating this and not that... WELL I'M LAZY OKAY. I will try and finish it I promise ;-;**

 **Enjoy!**

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It was a miracle Lucy had managed to get a job with Levy at Mirijane's restaurant. It was a miracle Lucy got a job, period. With her overcontrolling father telling her she shouldn't "lower herself" to such tasks and her lack of inexperience, the odds were overwhelmingly against her. But she'd wanted to start saving for her life after. After school, after her father, after everything. She didn't what her future held for her, but she knew there was an after. There had to be.

Once she'd mentioned this to Levy, her beautiful friend had introduced her to Mirijane, a kind, terrifying soul who took Lucy in and showed her the ropes.

Lucy couldn't have been more grateful for everything Mirijane and the restaurant Fairy Tail offered her. The owner, Makarov, came by often and would always smile at her in a such a fatherly way that it nearly broke her heart each time. She'd never received looks so filled with love like that before.

So the job meant the world to Lucy, which was why she was ignoring the irritating scratching that kept popping up on her leg. She desperately wanted to read it and see what her maybe, possibly, soul mate was saying, but she had a job. Fairy Tail was busier than ever and she had a lot of tables to clean and prep.

Lucy paused in her wiping down the table and sighed. This was all getting a bit too much for her, honestly.

She was thirteen when she'd started writing on her body. It had been a whim, really. She'd never _really_ thought anyone would respond. But now there was this person (Guy? Girl?) responding back. Her thoughts went to the pink-head. Was it him?

The thought had her wiping the table more furiously than before as a subtle flush drifted up her neck. Lucy didn't even know for sure if the writing meant that they were soul mates and yet here she was, a blushing fool.

She decided to set the idea down and firmly walk away. It was more likely she was hallucinating this whole thing, or she's dreaming and soon she'd wake up to skin that hasn't been scribbled on.

Lucy let out a half-gasp when something cold touched her cheek.

Levy removed her poking finger from Lucy's cheek and frowned in concern.

"You okay, Lu? You've been spacing out the entire day."

Lucy nodded hurriedly, offering the best reassuring smile she could manage. Now that she looked around properly, Fairy Tail was nearly empty. It was getting close to closing.

They slowly started to wipe down the rest of the tables. As they did this, Lucy forced herself to pay attention to Levy's words.

"Gajeel – you won't believe this – got me something!" she squealed, cheeks red. Levy reached to her neck and pulled out a necklace with a heart attached to it. Lucy "ooo'd" in appreciation, a light smile adorning her face.

"But you _will_ believe how he gave it to me," she huffed in annoyance, dreamy expression quickly melting to a scowl. "Here," she grunted in her best Gajeel imitation. She mimed him shoving the necklace at her. "And then he just called me Shrimp and stalked away! Ridiculous! He doesn't have romantic bone in his body."

Lucy smiled teasingly at her.

"And yet you love him anyway."

Levy promptly snapped her mouth close and blushed furiously. She looked at anything but Lucy, and instead attacked the floor with her broom with a vengeance. Lucy stifled a giggle, deciding not to torture the girl further. Despite Levy's complaints about Gajeel's lack of romance or general relationship savvy, she knew Levy wouldn't have him any other way. He showed he cared in other, less obvious ways.

It was only as they waved goodbye to Mirijane that Lucy noticed the scratching on her leg had stopped. She'd missed her chance to see his messages, she realized sadly (she decided to call the person a he for ease). Levy and Lucy split ways eventually, Lucy still thinking about the writing.

Last night's conversation had been brief, if only because she'd been too startled, scared, and shocked to have someone writing back to her. She'd replied ' _oh'_ which she now realized wasn't the best conversation starter.

And then it had been quiet. She wondered if he was mulling it over too.

But now that she'd had a chance to digest, she wanted to talk to this person more, get to know them. Maybe they could become friends? That didn't sound so bad.

With that thought she rushed home. Her house was mansion-like, something that she always felt a bit of shame for. She hadn't done anything to deserve such a beautiful home, had she? Lucy knew though that she'd give this home up in an instant for a caring father or anything beyond his gruff responses to her.

Lucy grabbed the apple from the kitchen before rushing up the stairs to her room, luckily not having any encounters with Jude.

Once she was in her room she yanked off her uniform (a yellow dress with ruffles down the side and on apron on the front) and checked her leg again, just to be sure, before throwing on some PJ's. Shakily she grabbed her marker and sat on her bed. What should she right? What do you say to someone you've never met and who you suddenly can talk to by what she can only assume is magic? She decided to keep it simple.

' _Hello.'_

She stared at her arm in impatience. Was this what he'd felt when he'd been writing earlier, waiting for her to respond? The guilt and anxiety were crawling up her throat, making her feel claustrophobic. She decided to write something else.

' _I was at work, sorry for not responding.'_

She let out a breath and decided to distract herself. She pulled her laptop from the table next to her desk and opened Netflix. The new movie, "Set it Up" seemed promising. Lucy was always a fan of good rom-coms when they came by. As she watched it, it was, to her delight, exactly what she hoped it would be. Enemies to friends to lovers, all the while navigating a job in the beautiful New York City, and exhausting bosses. It was funny and cute and still not enough to distract her from the possible response. But she still forced herself to pay attention to every second. It was adorable. Lucy almost cried at the end when they began listing the other's flaws and said, "And yet." It was at that moment that Lucy felt scratching on her leg. Her breath caught. She looked down.

In large, once again red, letters it read, _'You missed some pretty cool dino drawings.'_

Before she realized it, a smile lit her face.

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 **Comments, suggestions, thoughts? Yes, no, maybe so?**

 **I know, I keep leaving you guys with half-started conversations. If I get enough responses to inspire me to write another, there will probably be a FULL conversation, lol. Also, check out that movie, it is SO cute.**

 **Also, someone asked so, I believe I got this soulmate AU from Tumblr a long time ago. I wrote a starting thing to it, but never finished and so I can't remember the user who came up with it or exactly how it was described. Sorry!**

 **Anyway, tell me your thoughts!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, here you go. If you keep reviewing a lot I might update every day :0 Anyway, not sure if this sucks or not. This chapter just wasn't... flowing for me. Hope you still enjoy!**

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' _Next time I'll be sure to look'_ she wrote, smile still painting her face. That explained why her leg had been itching for so long at her job. A continuous project. _'So…'_

Lucy frowned. How was she supposed to phrase "what the fuck is going on" gently? She was saved from trying when her arm started to itch a bit.

' _This is pretty cool ya know. I was always able to read your messages, but I had no idea I could respond.'_

' _You didn't even try?'_

' _Nah'._ Lucy could almost hear the shrug in his response. _'I just thought I was goin crazy.'_

Lucy raised an eyebrow in consideration before responding.

' _I'm not 100% sure I'm not going crazy.'_

She stared at her arm, waiting for a response, but none came. She pursed her lips and frowned. If he could always read her messages, then… her eyes widened. She lifted her shirt and stared at her hip with the words ' _Are you listening?'_ written. This person had seen that? Lucy felt her entire face explode in embarrassment and shame.

Lucy gripped her pink marker tightly and wrote on a free space.

' _so… you've read everything I've written?'_

She decided to get up and walk around while she waited for his response. It did occur to her that he could have missed the message she just sent, and she'd be waiting for nothing, but she was determined. She'd rewrite it in an hour if necessary.

Her walk turned out to be short. She lived in a large room, compliments to the mansion, but it still wasn't enough for a good long walk. Lucy considered walking around the mansion, or going outside, but what if he wrote back? She might mis his message, or worse, someone else would see the magic ink appearing and disappearing.

She decided to stay put and flip through social media on her phone. After about 15 minutes of that, her thigh started to itch. Without wasting a second, she pushed up her pants and looked at her legs.

' _i haven't read everything… it goes away too fast'_ he said. Lucy let out a breath of relief, surprised at how much her shoulders loosened at the news. _'why do you think this is happening? No one I know has gone thru this before.'_

Lucy stared at the last part, quietly letting out a breath. Honestly, she couldn't fathom one sane reason. Insane, sure. She knew soul mates were real; the truth was in Gajeel and Levy's relationship. The moment they'd met, Levy described it as love at first site.

" _It was like something I'd never felt before, Lu. I looked at him, and I felt this tugging towards him. All the sudden these unfamiliar emotions of love and anger and sadness and pure_ joy _filled me. It didn't fill me it, actually, it consumed me. All of the sudden I started crying."_ Whenever Levy told this story, she'd pause at this part and wink at Lucy. _"He'll never admit it, but he teared up too."_

Soulmates were real, and as rare as anything. The bond manifested itself in different ways for the few who got them. She'd once heard that a soul mate couple couldn't see color until they laid eyes on the other. It was one of worlds mysteries, and being the romantic that she is, Lucy's mind immediately went to that explanation. After all, she'd started writing on herself in the beginning to _contact_ her soul mate. What were the odds?

So, sane ideas she did not have. Insane? Yes.

Romantic that Lucy is, she was also extremely embarrassed by this thought. So instead of responding with her theory she came up with the next best response.

' _I have no idea, honestly. But we have to set some ground rules so no one sees this. You're only allowed to write on your chest, stomach, and upper legs. Got it?'_

Lucy stared down at her writing and frowned. She was going to run out of space soon; she'd have to scrub marker off soon. And was she being too brisk? They were strangers – she should've been nicer. It was just the thought of someone else finding out about this left her in a full-blown panic. They'd send her to a psych ward, she was sure of it. It took a second, but he finally responded.

' _as long as you don't write on your arms anymore or lower legs'_

Lucy nodded to herself, thinking that was perfectly reasonable. Realizing he couldn't see this she hastily scribbled a ' _got it'._

Lucy let out a sigh and fell back on her bed. This whole thing was… overwhelming. She simultaneously felt nauseous and excited. She vaguely wondered if she should have asked the person's names.

Her eye lids started to lower as the days work started to catch up to her. She barely registered the soft itch on her leg as she succumbed to sleep.

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Lucy worked at Fairy Tail daily. The work was exhausting, yes, but the regulars treated her like family the moment she started working there and it was the only true place she felt accepted. She was about to graduate high school, so she'd recently been able to leave school early and work at Fairy Tail.

And that's when she ran into Natsu.

Lucy'd been serving Wakaba his usual glass of beer and fries when the bell attached to the door rang. She looked up with her usual cheerful smile only to falter when Natsu was standing there, wearing ruffled school uniform, hands in his pockets, looking as cool as can be. He looked at her in surprise, before grinning.

"You work here Luigi?"

If that hadn't been the first thing to come from his mouth, Lucy imagined they would've had cheerful conversation and she would've remained in her good mood. Alas, that was not the case.

Lucy huffed in annoyance and placed her hands on her hips.

"My name is _Lucy,_ " she growled, eyes narrowing. She was against hitting customers in all situations, but surely this could be an exception? Natsu laughed carefree, eyes sparkling in a way that made her wonder if he'd done that on purpose.

"Got it," he laughed, moving to a booth. Lucy followed him reluctantly, noticing Mira, behind the bar, waving at her to take his order. She smiled teasingly. Lucy cursed the fact that she was the only waitress working at this hour.

Once he sat down he immediately began listing off nearly everything on the menu. Once he was done Lucy stared down at him, unable to comprehend the idea that this guy was going to eat _all_ that.

She was suddenly reminded of Ron from Parks and Rec saying "I know what I'm about son" after ordering a ridiculous amount of food. She stifled a giggle behind her hand.

He looked up at her curiously before shrugging it off.

"How long have you been working here?" Natsu asked. Lucy looked up from where she was jotting down his orders in surprise. She hadn't been expecting that question.

"Um," Lucy paused, squinting at the ceiling, before looking back at him. "About a year since I moved here." He frowned.

"I'm always here, though! I'm sure I would've seen you."

Lucy shrugged.

"I don't usually work this hour, but I got off early. That's probably why."

Natsu nodded, frown melting back into that trademark grin she was starting to get used to. If she let herself, she thought it would be very easy to fall in love with that smile. If she let herself.

"I'll put in your order," she said before turning and walking back to Mirijane. Mira smiled widely at Lucy before grabbing Natsu's order from her hand. Glancing down she giggled.

"He's never sated, is he?" Mira passed it back to the cook behind her. "You've met Natsu, Lucy?"

Lucy nodded. "At Levy's party." She glanced back at the boy. Gray had at some point wandered in and taken a seat at Natsu's booth and they were currently up in arms about something or another. She hadn't known Natsu long, but she figured it was about something stupid.

She continued through the night, laughing off the occasional flirt and enjoying the company of Fairy Tail's patrons, all the while doing her best to stop Natsu and Gray from destroying the place. At the end of the night, she was exhausted.

Natsu being there had put her on edge. Not only was he attractive and annoying, all at the same time somehow, but he was also possibly, maybe, her soul mate. And if she was right, he had no idea he was talking to Lucy.

"Stop being stupid Lucy," she muttered to herself on her walk home. "There's no way it's him… right?"

This felt unreal. Somehow, Lucy felt like she'd been tossed haphazardly into a story that had nothing to do with her.

And somehow, she felt like it was about to get more complicated.

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 **Comments, suggestions, thoughts? Yes, no, maybe so?**

 **Personally, I'm not doing okay mentally or physically, so I plan to explore Lucy's loneliness throughout this story as an almost therapy-type of thing for me. Don't worry tho, that doesn't mean this will get heavy. This story is light and cute with a bit of real shit in-between.**

 **Hope you enjoyed! PLEASE tell me your thoughts, no matter how small! It's the reason I can update daily. Love you!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I almost didn't write this today but some of y'all were SO nice omg. My day has been tiring but fine so far. Work and class is exhausting but I will SURVIVE! SO much nalu in this one it was fun writing, tho I do apologize for it being a bit short. Hope you enjoy!**

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They never told each other their names. It was something Lucy was highly aware of but loathe to change. She felt like she was on a teeter totter, going back and forth on whether she wanted to reveal her name or not. On one hand, what did it matter? On the other hand, and not to be overdramatic here, but she could die.

He never asked for her name though, or offered his, so she decided to leave it at that.

Meanwhile, her life seemed to be getting more exhausting. Finals were approaching and she still continued to work at Fairy Tail like her life depended on it, even if it didn't.

Natsu was a constant hassle in her life, what with his needs to start fights in the middle of the restaurant. Despite this, when things were slow, she found herself sitting down with him and just talking.

He was a bit of an enigma for her. One minute he was this goofball who inhaled everything near him, the next he was smirking at her like he knew something she didn't. No matter what Lucy said or did, he always had a response that sent her laughing, fuming, or blushing. It was beyond frustrating.

Still.

She looked forward to the time she got to sit with him. Lucy learned he went to a private school with Gray and Gajeel, and a few others who frequented Fairy Tail. She also discovered his obsession with anything dragon and fire. The tattoo that curled around his arm was a memento to his passed father, someone he didn't speak of much, but when he did it was always with blazing eyes.

The way Natsu described Igneel left her feeling a bit hollow. He was a loving father who was with Natsu, even after he passed. After Lucy's mother died, her father had withdrawn from his fatherly role and acted more as her life manager.

Lucy still couldn't help but feel happy for Natsu, to be surrounded by such a loving family. Makarov was practically his surrogate father, as was Gildarts, another rare, but loved, customer.

She was envious.

Lucy sighed and rested her cheek on the end of the broom she held, staring out the window of Fairy Tail. Fairy Tail, half bar, half restaurant, wasn't popular despite its loyal patrons. It was located at the end of a long row of restaurants and food places, and wasn't the fanciest place in the world.

"Luce!"

Lucy startled, immediately straightening and removing her cheek from the aforementioned broom. Natsu was waving from his place at the bar where he'd been talking to Mira and Gray. Lucy still wasn't too sure about that nickname. They'd only been talking for about a week or two, and yet he'd given her such a familiar nickname it occasionally made her blush.

Sighing, she grabbed her broom and moved to the counter.

"Settle a bet for us, Lucy," Gray said immediately. Lucy raised an eyebrow, looking between the two. They both looked pissed off at the other. She glanced at Mira who only shrugged with a happy smile and moved away.

Lucy prepared herself for stupidity.

"You know I'm working, right?" she huffed indignantly. Natsu pouted at her, to which she rolled her eyes. Why was that so endearing? "Make it quick."

Gray leaned forward (she couldn't help but notice he'd somehow lost his shirt but she resisted pointing this out). A smirk tugged at his lips that immediately made her wary.

"Who do you think could get a girlfriend first?"

Lucy blinked in surprise. It didn't even take a second for her to answer.

"Gray."

Natsu straightened in outrage, flame practically flaring from his ears. She wouldn't be surprised if it did, the pyro. Gray smirked victoriously, leaning back in his stool.

"Told ya."

"Luuuucy!" Natsu cried, staring at her like she'd just spilled all his darkest secrets. "I've never experienced such betrayal!"

Lucy stifled a guffaw at his dramatics.

"Calm down, Natsu. I only said Gray because a certain someone would _die_ for the opportunity to date Gray." Lucy narrowed her eyes at Gray, who suddenly found the ground to be very interesting. "But unless he man's up, it won't happen."

Natsu frowned, looking between the two.

"Did you want to date Gray, Lucy?"

Lucy felt her soul leave her body. Gray could currently be found on the floor, laughing his ass off. What followed after was a few well-aimed Lucy Kick's at Gray for his reaction, and a harsh scolding from Lucy.

"I'm talking about _Juvia,_ idiot," Lucy muttered, rubbing her aching forehead.

"There's nothing going on with Juvia and me," Gray said, glancing away from Lucy. She felt anger flare up inside her. What was with these boys?

"Then you better tell her that, Gray," she snapped. "Because as it is, you're just dragging her along, and you'll only manage to hurt her in the end. As one of her closest friends, you _really_ don't want to do that."

"Whatever," he muttered sourly. Without another word he pushed from the bar and stalked out of Fairy Tail. Lucy watched him go, frowning. Hopefully that would push him to actually _do_ something, rather than him just ignoring it. Even turning her down firmly would be better than this.

"I still can't believe you, Lucy," Natsu said. Lucy turned back to him, confused. "No matter what, you're supposed to be on my side!"

He continued pouting childishly at her.

"If the tables were turned, you wouldn't hesitate from doing the same," Lucy said, rolling her eyes. Natsu's eyes widened in indignation.

"I would not! Best friends support each other!"

Lucy had to take a seat at that. This boy kept giving her shock after shock. Best friends? They'd known each other for two weeks! She gazed at the pouting teen and couldn't help a warmth that spread throughout her chest. He was so accepting and kind. _Also silly and a doofus,_ she reminded herself. But she found she wouldn't want him any other way. What would be the use in denying him best friend status? The moment he'd called her 'Luce', she'd been his.

Lucy stood and, forgetting herself for a moment, reached over and ruffled his hair, smiling fondly at him. She vaguely noticed a small amount of color rush into his cheeks, but chose not to think on it.

"You're right Natsu, I'm sorry. Next time I'll remember that."

Natsu's answering grin kept her company the whole way home.

* * *

 **Comments, suggestions, thoughts? Yes, no, maybe so?**

 **I started rewatching Fairy Tail last night and almost started crying - I forgot the sense of home and safety that show always gave me. I've missed it. Anyway, PLEASE tell me your thoughts. Your reviews are the reason I post new chapters daily.**

 **Love you guys, hope you enjoyed!**


	5. Chapter 5

**YO. It's been a while. Without a lot of reviews it's hard to force myself to write another chapter, BUT I DID IT. This one's a bit longer than the others, yay! Enjoy~**

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Her father was staring at her, and she decided the best thing to do would be to stare back. His lips were pursed in displeasure, a look that always made her uneasy. He never hit her, she knew he'd never cross that line, but the way he shouted somehow felt worse. What truly made her uneasy was his silence though. Jude Heartfilia was a man who voiced his opinions, and the moment he stopped, something was wrong.

Lucy felt itching on her stomach but refused to move from her place at the table. Jude was the last person she wanted to know about her mysterious pen pal.

"Lucy," Jude finally spoke, clasping his hands atop the table. He sat opposite her at the dining room table's head. Lucy didn't move. Her entire body was tense. She wanted to explode, implode, all the plode's.

"You're truly testing my patience, child." Lucy locked down the urge to bite back a _you're testing mine_ retort. It wouldn't be worth it in this scenario.

"I'm not leaving." She clenched her shaking hands.

"You are not in a place to say that," he growled, reaching up and massaging his forward.

And that was the gist of it, wasn't it? She never was in the proper place. She had a place when she was young, next to her mother, but then that was taken from her by sickness. Then she'd tried to fit the place her father designed for her; the quiet, cooperative daughter who was perfect. She'd never been great at that either. Somehow, she'd thought she'd found a place at Fairy Tail, but now that was being taken from her too.

Luc couldn't help but remember the day she'd wandered the mansion as a girl and found the story book in the library. She still felt like a child, lost and wandering, writing on her body in hopes of finding a new story to live in.

The only time she'd ever felt truly at piece was when she was looking at the stars, or at Fairy Tail. Lucy wondered what Natsu would do in this situation.

She could imagine him standing up to her father, facing him down, and fighting for his home. Lucy stared at her father, slowly losing any fight she may have had.

Would Fairy Tail even miss her if she left? She was still new, not a real part of the family yet. And what power did she really have? Her father was right. She had no place to fight this. Lucy may be eighteen, but she still depended on her father.

Even something as magical as a soulmate writing to her on skin couldn't change the reality she lived. Lucy stood up.

"I have to get to work." It came out in a whisper, though she'd intended it to be in a more commanding voice. He stared at her for a second longer before nodding silently. Without another word Lucy turned and left the manor.

The walk to Fairy Tail was torturous as she realized soon she wouldn't be able to walk there anymore. And when she glanced at her watch, she it back a curse. Her shift didn't start for another hour. Lucy couldn't go back just yet though. Sighing she grabbed a bench by the bus stop and decided to wait for a bit.

She grabbed the pen that she always wore clipped to her pants and rolled up her pant legs. Luckily, she was alone.

' _sorry, distracted. What'd you write?'_

It only took a few seconds before a response showed up below hers.

' _was bored, just wanted to say hi. What were you doing?'_

Lucy stared at the question as it slowly faded. How much should she tell him?

' _fighting a war'_ she wrote back.

' _sounds intense. Any dragons in this war?'_

' _in this scenario, I was the knight fighting the dragon.'_ Lucy closed her eyes and took a deep breath before writing the next part. _'I'm afraid the dragon won though'_

As she waited for a response she slowly traced the letters of her words. It was still hard to think about leaving without fully bursting into tears. Admitting she'd lost had her eyes stinging. Her breath caught on his next words.

' _the fights not over'_

' _?'_

' _I mean… you're still alive. So why would you give up?'_

Lucy smiled. She wished she could see it so simply.

' _I've got to get to work… talk to you later'_

She waited a second but when no response came she stood and headed towards Fairy Tail. Talking in metaphors was fine, but no metaphor could change her fathers mind.

A sigh escaped her as she opened the door to Fairy Tail. It was midday on a Saturday, so the place was a bit empty. Romeo and his father greeted Lucy from their stools at the bar. Cana, drunk as usual, laid nearby, hiccupping into her drink. When she saw Lucy she winked.

Lucy knew most of these people before Levy's party, but from the outside in a customer, servicer, relationship. But since she'd visited Levy's place weeks ago now they all knew her by name, and she them.

Her heart sunk as she realized how much she'd miss them.

She greeted Mirijane with a tired smile before tying on her apron and getting to work wiping down tables and refilling Cana's cup. A few minutes later Levy walked in for her shift and greeted Lucy with a downright cheery hello. Lucy did her best to respond in kind.

Levy stood next to her behind the bar and finished tying on her apron. Without looking up she leaned over and whispered, "You okay, Lucy?"

Lucy glanced at the girl in surprise. She thought she'd been hiding it well.

"I'll explain later," Lucy murmured, refusing to meet her eyes. Levy was one of two people she was dreading the most to explain this two. The second chose that second to walk through the door, sporting the widest grin on his face, a disgruntled Gray and cackling Gajeel walking in behind.

The three boys dropped down at the bar in front of the girls, Gray grumbling indistinctly under his breath.

"Yo Lucy!" Natsu called. His eyes gleamed in mischief. Gajeel nodded at Lucy before looking at Levy who smiled serenely at him.

"Hi guys," Levy greeted. "Anything I can get you?"

"My pride," Gray muttered, dropping his head on the counter with a loud smack. Lucy bit back a giggle.

"I'm afraid that's not on the menu," Lucy said. "Can I interest you in some decency instead?"

Gray shot Lucy a glare before slumping back down on the bar. Natsu on the other hand gazed at Lucy in approval.

"What happened?" Levy giggled.

"The idiot got his balls busted," Gajeel snickered. "The Lyon twerp called Gray out for not making a move on Juvia. In front of Juvia."

"Juvia got really upset too," Natsu grumbled, looking at Gray sourly. "Especially when Ice Pants said Lyon could have her." Lucy's mouth popped open in shock.

"Gray!" Lucy cried. He didn't look up. Lucy sighed and shook her head. That poor girl.

"And then Lyon was all, 'Grow some balls, Ultear would be so disappointed in you, I will take her' and then Juvia was a sobbing mess and it only went downhill from there." Gajeel shook his head and slapped Gray on the back. "You're an idiot."

"You better fix this Gray," Lucy warned, half ready to cross the bar and beat the boy. "Are you really okay with Lyon stealing Juvia?" Gray's head snapped up in indignation.

"Juvia would _never_ date that loser."

Lucy rolled her eyes. "If you keep acting like this, she might."

Gray dropped his head back on the bar.

The rest of her shift passed in a blur as the dinner rush came in. She managed to make it through without anyone noticing her mood, except for one time.

There'd been a lull in the crowd and she sat down next to Natsu, who'd claimed his place at the bar chatting with Lisanna. Lucy sat down with n involuntary sight and Natsu had immediately snapped to attention. She wasn't usually so melancholy at work.

"You okay, Luce?"

When he used that nickname it had some negative effects on her. For one, she wanted to melt into his arms. He just said it with so much _affection_ it still made her pause, weeks later. But the worst was that she nearly opened up and told him everything. But Lucy didn't want to talk about it right now, so she just shook her head and smiled before going back to work.

She finally got off, an hour after Levy, and was expecting a call anytime now.

Lucy stopped outside her home and looked up at the stars. Even though she knew where she was, and where she stood, she'd never felt more lost.

She prayed the stars would guide her home.

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 **Comments, suggestions, reviews? Yes, no, maybe so?**

 **I'm pretty sure I'm going to keep this story sex-free. I've never written a sex scene before and I like this story being innocent and cute. But yes, I'm aware I can take it in an entirely different direction because of the writing on body and I promise to keep it in mind for future scenes lol. None of this story is planned, I write as I go, so something could happen, idk.**

 **Hope you enjoyed! Review!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Miss me? Who else finds it funny that I'm writing a story bout the stars and am also taking an Astronomy class? Just me?**

 **This chapter is pretty short and uninspired. I'm tired, exhausted, dead, gone, who am I, am I alive, and sick. All bundled into one upset Cece. Review and make me better ;)**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

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Lucy received two calls that night, both startlingly different from the other. The first was from Juvia, Lucy's blue-headed friend. She'd taken one step into her room before her phone had started to buzz violently. She'd immediately assumed it was Levy and slowly took her time answering.

"Lucy!"

Lucy yanked the phone from her ear at the girl's shriek, wincing.

Swallowing a sigh Lucy gently brought her phone back to her ear.

"Juvia? What's wrong?"

What followed next was an hour-long conversation in which Juvia squealed about Gray and his confession two hours ago. Apparently, he'd been so upset about the idea of her dating Lyon that he'd decided to "claim her", whatever that meant. Though Juvia seemed to be happy about it, by the way her voice kept getting higher and higher.

Lucy sighed and smiled as Juvia began describing how handsome and buff he looked. Juvia was silly, but she truly was in love. She was over the moon that Gray had decided to finally man up and confess to Juvia. She was sure their relationship would advance at a snail's pace, but Juvia would never give up.

By the time they hung up Lucy was exhausted. It was with horror that she realized her night wasn't over yet when she saw a missed call from Levy. Sighing, she pressed "call back".

It rung for practically one second before a breathless Levy picked up.

"Sorry Lev, I was talking to Juvia – Gray finally confessed."

"Ooooo!" Levy squealed. "Finally! Juvia must be ecstatic!"

"She talked about him for an entire hour. Granted, she could probably talk for ten hours about him." Levy giggled in response.

"Wait till Erza finds out."

Lucy shuddered to think of what kind of talk Erza would give Gray. It ranged from "if you hurt her I will literally rip off your dick" to a sex talk. Knowing Erza, it would be all of it.

"So, Lucy…" Levy began hesitantly.

"I know," Lucy sighed, flopping onto her back on her bed. She stared at the ceiling, wondering how to say this in a way that wouldn't make Levy upset. She decided to just rip the band-aid off. "My father is starting a new business across the country. He wants to be there to make sure everything runs smoothly, and I have to go with him."

Silence greeted her confession. Lucy closed her eyes and felt tears begin to form. The silence was an accusation as well as a damnation.

"Lucy…" came Levy's soft voice, in nothing but a whisper.

"I know."

"You… you can stay, can't you?" Levy demanded, her voice finally picking up fire. "You're eighteen now, you don't have to live with him."

"I don't make enough to get my own place," Lucy mumbled. She'd been saving for a while now, but it wasn't nearly enough for her to live on her own. "Besides, what do I know about being independent?"

"So you're just going to remain controlled by Jude forever?" Levy demanded. Lucy winced.

"It's not like that," Lucy whispered, tears beginning to inch down her cheeks.

"Lucy, do you want to move?"

"Of course not!" Lucy was horrified she even suggested that. "I've made so many friends and built a home here. I never want to leave! But what else can I do?"

There was a short pause at the end of the line.

"Move in with me."

Lucy's eyes widened. "What?"

"If we split rent you can afford to stay here. You'll be out of your dad's control, and once you graduate you can get a second job and maybe get your own place one day."

Lucy could hardly believe her ears at this lifeline Levy was throwing her.

"I… I couldn't do that, Levy," Lucy said. "We've only known each other a year! I couldn't ask that of you."

"Good thing you're not asking," Levy said, her mind officially made up. Lucy recognized the stubborn tone in her voice. It was the kind you aren't allowed to say no to. "I'm insisting. Lucy, you're important to me. I don't want to lose you, and neither does Fairy Tail."

Lucy could count the times she'd truly been touched by another person on her hand. The first was when she was young before her mother had passed away. Layla was in bed and she'd been reading a story to Lucy when Lucy suddenly burst into tears. She could vaguely remember telling her mother about Jude's coldness to her when Layla set down the book and held Lucy.

" _Lucy, your father loves you very much. He's just worried about a lot of things." Layla pressed her lips to Lucy's forehead. "No matter what, always remember that your father and I will always be with you. We love you, Lucy. You're our heart."_

The next was when Natsu called her his best friend. And the third was right now.

"Are you sure?" Lucy choked out. She was crying quite a lot now. The possibility of being able to finally be free and stay in Magnolia seemed too good to be true.

"I'm sure."

Lucy closed her eyes and smiled.

"Okay."

* * *

 **Comments, suggestions, reviews? Yes, no, maybe so?**

 **Can I sleep now? No? I've still got to work? Motherforker. Also, no Natsu this one?! Does that mean the next one will have LOTS of Natsu?! Review to find out.**

 **Peace!**


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